Observation-tower



'(No Model.)

3' Sheets-Sheet -1. M. F. SMITH. OBSERVATION TOWER.

Patented Aug. 28, 189-4..

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

M. P. SMITH. OBSERVATION TOWER. No. 525,031. Patented Aug. 28, 1894,

OBSERVATION TOWER;

No. 525,031. Patented Aug. 28, 1894.

PATENT OFFICE.

MORRIS F SMITH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

OBSERVATION-TOWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 525,031, dated August 28, 1 894.

Application filed December a, 1893.

To all whom it may concern.- g

Be it known that I, MORRIS F. SMITH, a citi-. zen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and Improved Observation-Tower, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

The object of myinvention is to provide an observation towerof anydesired height having a passenger carrying platform from which an uninterrupted view from all points, may be had during both the ascent and descent of the platform, such a tower being of especial value for seashore and mountain resorts, exhibitions and the like.

To this end I construct a tower of any desired height and arrange around the same a platform which maybe, raised and-lowered upon vertical guides formed preferably by portions of the structural work of the tower, and upon this platform is placed a passenger platform which may be revolved by any suitable mechanism during the'ascent and descent of the elevator so that the passengers may have an uninterrupted viewfrom all sides of the tower during the entire time they 00- cupy the same.

1n the accompanying drawingsr-Figure l is a sectional elevation of a tower provided with apassenger platform in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan View on the line 3-3 Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is asectional elevation, onanenlarged scale of a portion of the tower and the platforms, and Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view on the line 5-5 Fig. 4.

In Fig. 1 the upper and lower portions only of the tower are shown and the intervening portion is of the same construction and of any desired height. The tower in the present instance is hexagonal in cross section, but this form of course, may be altered as desired, the form shown, however, being a desirable one, convenient to construct and costing but comparatively little, as the iron employed is that in ordinary commercial use. At the meeting points of the various sides or angles of thetower are angle irons, A, of V-shape in I Serial 110.493.162. (No model.)

cross section, extending in sections from top to bottom of the tower and connected and braced byinner horizontally disposed T-bars, B and cross bars, 1), extending from the junctions of the horizontal bars, B, with the vertical bars, A. At the top of the tower is a platform, D, upon which thepassengers may pass after the passenger platform has reached its highest point but which is intended principally to serve as a support for a number of standards or bearing blocks, E, F, in which are shafts, e, f, the former carrying sheave, e,

- over which the hoisting ropes, e for the hoisting platform may pass, and the standards, F, carrying the shafts, f, on which are mounted sheaves, f, over which are guided ropes, f carrying counter-balance weights, G, which may partially counterbalance the weight of such hoisting platform. Extending around the tower is a platform, H, formed of aseries of angle and channel bars, and provided with circular tracks on which are guided wheels, h, carried by the passenger platform, J.

- In order to. more securely brace the platform, H, I provide at some distance below the same, a ring, K, formed of angle iron encircling the tower from which extend bracing bars or struts, k, to the-under side of the platform, H, and from a point about midway from the struts, k, extend bracing bars, l, extending to a second ring, L, which forms the extreme inner portion of the platform, H. The rings K and L are rigidly secured together by vertically disposed angle bars, L, at each angle of the tower, and which also serve to support at points immediately above the ring, L, and below the ring, K, thegrooved I rollers, m, which are adapted to guide the platform, H, in a vertical path, the rollers resting against the angle irons, A, and preventing any lateral displacement or circular movement of the platform, H. Connected to this platform, H, are the counterbalance ropes, f extending over the sheave, on the platform, D, and carrying at their opposite ends the counterbalance weights, G, as

before stated, so that-a portion of the weight of the platform willbe taken from themain hoisting ropes, 6 which extend over the sheaves, e, and at their lower ends pass around winding drums, M, mounted on suitable shafts which may be driven synchronously by the worm gearing, N, from a central power shaft, n.

The base of the tower is embedded in ,the ground to adesired depth and from a distance above the base extend anchoring bars or rods, 0, connected to plates, 0, embedded in the ground, while the base is further anchored by a series of cross bars, 0', extending through the base portion of the tower beneath an inner horizontally disposed ring, 0', held'in position against the same by bolts, 0 extending through a plate, 0 placed on thesurface of the ground and forming abed plate for the hoisting machinery.

The passenger platform, J, is annular in form and is provided at each edge with in- ;closing hand rails, j, and on its under side has supporting wheels, 72/, adaptedto the circula'r tracks, h, of the hoisting platform, H;

inorder to prevent .any lateral movement of the passenger platform thehoisting platform carries at pointsjust below it. upper guiding rollers, m,'a' circular track, P, against which the anti-friction rollers,p,' carried by the passenger'platform may travel, these rollers-and the track, P, serveto keep the rollers, h, upon their tracks, h, so that it is unnecessary to employ flanged rollers for the purpose.

The-mechanism for revolving the passenger platform is of any-suitable character, a preferable form being that illustrated wherein the hoisting'platform, H, is extended out at diametrically opposite points to form, on one side a support, Q, for an electricmotor, R,

and on the opposite side to form a-support, f-for a grooved idler, r, the motor being eare'd down and adapted to revolvea pulley, r, from'which'extends a wire cable belt, S, adaptedjto argroove, s, in the edge of the platform, J, the cable "or belt extendingalso around the idler, r,- so that thepulling strain of the cable will be equalized and the passenger platform will not be pulled over toward the motor. be carried by the passenger platform and drive a roller or'cableroperatively connected to'theipassenger platform or tower, or a'gas engine or othermotor may be employed for the purpose. Insome cases the vertical movement of 'theplatform maybe transformed into a revolving motion and the platform be revolved without any auxiliary motor power:

as will be readily understood. The necessary electric current for the motor may be trans-. mitted'through'a flexible cable, such as 'isx ordinarily used;for'lightingrpurposes in pasf relevators, or it may preferably be sup-I plied by a trolley wire, T, provided vertically: upon the outer walls of the tower and against;

which may bear-a trolley wheel, 15, carried by an: ar-m,t', pivoted to. the underside of the platform, H, and held in contact by a spring; or other suitable device. In operation th passengers are assembled on theplatform, J, at the base ofthe tower and after the hoist-.. ing drums have ,been started in motion the fhe motor may, however,

electric motor upon the platform, H, is set in operation and as the hoisting platform is raised to the top of the tower and with itthe passenger platform, the latter is revolved at any desired speed by means of the motor and its cable, S, so that the passengers while ascending or descending will at the same time also be rotated horizontally and during the ascent and descent of the platform may have an uninterrupted view from all sides of the tower; the platform at the extreme top of the tower may be employed when the passengers desire to remain at the top, and there may, if

necessary, be intervening platforms at various heights within the tower proper when the latter is of any great height,

For the convenience of passengers I may provide a number of revoluble or other seats, and the-platform maybe stepped,'as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim,-and "desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 4 l. Incombination,a tower,"a platform encircling the same with 'rnechanism'for raising and lowering and for revolving said platform, substantially as specified.

' 2. In combination, a tower, at hoisting-platform encircling-thesame, mechanism for elevating and loweri-ngthe said'platform, a passenger platform supported upon the hoisting platform and mechanism for revolving said passenger platform,'substantially as specified.

3. In combination, a tower, ahoistingplatformencircling-said tower and having'supporting tracks, mechanism'for elevating and lowerings'aid platform,a-passenger platform having rollers or wheels adapted to said tracks, with mechanism for jrevolving sai'd passenger platform,'substantiallyasspecified.

4. The combination-of the tower, the-hoisting platform, mechanism for raising'andlowering said:platformysupporting tracks on said platform, a guiding track-also carriedbysaid platform and a passenger platform having supporting and guidin g wheels adapted-to the tracks of the hoisting platform, with mechanism for revolving said passenger platform, substantially as specified.

5. In combination, a tower having vertical gui'des, ahoisting platform encircling said tower and having wheels adapted-to-said guides, a passenger platform mounted "upon 1 thehoistingiplatform and mechanism for revolvin-gsaid passenger plat-form, substantially 6, In combination, the -towe'r'h'aving vertical guides, a hoisting platform encircling said tower-and having wheels-adapted =to said guides, an engine or'motor'carried by said: hoisting platform, apa'ssenger platform mounted upon the hoisting platform, said pas 'senger platform being operatively connected to and revolved"by-saidengine or motor,sub-

stantially as specified. I

, 7. The combination of the-towenahoisting [platform encircling said tower, a'lower supporting ring beneath said platform and also encircling said tower, bracing bars extending from said ring tothe under side of the platform, guiding wheels carried by said platform and ring adapted to vertical guides on or forming part of the tower, supporting tracks,

as h, on said hoisting platform, a circular guiding track, P, carried by the hoisting platform, a passenger platform having supporting wheels adapted to travel on the tracks, h, and guiding wheels, p, adapted to the circular track, P, with mechanism for revolving said passenger platform, substantially as specified.

8. The combination of the tower, a hoisting platform encircling the same, hoisting mechanism, an electric motor supported upon said hoisting platform, a passenger platform mounted upon the hoisting platform and adapted to be revolved by said electric motor, an electric conductor or trolley extending from the bottom to the top of the tower and a trolley arm carried by the hoisting platform and adapted to conduct the current from the trolley to the electric motor, substantially as specified.

9. An observation tower of the same diameter from its base to its top, vertical guides formed on the exterior of such tower, a platform, substantially as specified.

10. The combination of the tower, angle bars, as A, forming vertical guides, a hoisting platform, as H, a supporting frame therefor comprising angle bars, L, arranged at the angles of the tower, encircling rings, K and L, secured to said angle bars, L', bracingbars connecting the rings and platform, guiding wheels, as m, secured to the angle bars, L, and guided upon the bars, A, acircularguiding track, as P, carried by the angle bars L, a passenger platform mounted upon the hoistingplatform, guiding rollers on the passenger platform, adapted to saidtrack P, and mechanism for revolving said passenger platform, substantially as specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 2d day of December, A. D. 1893.

MORRIS F. SMITH.

Witnesses:

J. BAYARD HENRY, HORACE PETTIT. 

